The first half of the All Jamaica Badminton National Championships came to an end at Alfred Sangster Auditorium, University of Technology, on Sunday, producing two triple winners and two double winners.

Both triple winners were in the Under-19 category, while the double winners came from the Under-15 category.

Tahlia Richardson and Mickhail Williams were the triple winners. Richardson took the Under-19 Girls’ Singles championship 21-10, 21-19 over Stefani-Imani Brown.

She then partnered with the rapidly improving Aaliyah Walker to win the Under-19 Girls’ Doubles title over Nya Brice-Harris and Stefani-Imani Brown 21-9, 21-12.

Richardson also teamed with Williams to win the Under-19 Mixed Doubles championship 21-17, 21-9 over Adam Taylor and Breanna Bisnott to completing the treble.

Williams, the other triple winner, claimed the Boys’ Under-19 Singles title, 21-13, 21-9 over young Kyle Sarju. He joined Adam Taylor to defeat the School’s League standouts Romario Maclymot and Chavaughn Schleifer, 23-21, 21-16 in a nailbiting final.

His third title came in the Under-19 Mixed Doubles alongside Richardson.

In the Under-15 category, former Carebaco triple winner Rhianna Rust of Rusty Rust Badminton easily won the Girls’ Singles title 21-5, 21-4 over Jade Ranger of Rangers Badminton Academy.

Rust then teamed with Zachary Lim-Sang, also of Rusty Rust Badminton, to win the Under-15 Mixed Doubles title in a round-robin ahead of Aldre Fearon and Brianna Webster of Rangers Badminton Academy.

Zachary Lim-Sang won his second title in the Under-15 Boys’ Doubles, teaming with his Rusty Rust Badminton teammate Nathaniel Finzi to win the Boys’ Doubles 21-10, 21-14 over brothers Jorie and Keyon’Dre McBean.

The other Under-15 titles went to Careece Williams and Thalia Yee. They registered an exciting 21-19, 21-19 win over Jade Ranger and Brianna Webster in an All Rangers Badminton Academy Girls Doubles final. Aundre Brown defeated Keyon’Dre Mc Bean in an energetic Under-15 Boys’ Singles final 21-14, 21-11.

The second half of the All Jamaica National Badminton Championships serves off this weekend with the Under-13, Under-17, Senior and Masters Categories at the Alfred Sangster venue.

General secretary of the Jamaica Badminton Association Antonio Bell thinks that the partnership forged with China is helping to benefit the sport locally.

“I am impressed with the triple winners. These are two of the beneficiaries of the Jamaica/China initiative, which is slowly bearing fruit. We are looking for more from them and the other juniors that benefitted and also from the other locally prepared juniors as they transition into the senior ranks,” Bell said.

—Dwayne Richards